8 Introduction The contemporary understanding of technology usually refers to advances in highly technical industries such as those related to computers telecommunications and the Internet Modern technology is con stantly evolving with each new advance making older versions outmoded and eventu ally obsolete To understand the technology of the ancient world as it is discussed in this book the word must be thought of some what differently At its core technology is the application of knowledge to manipulate one’s environment and achieve a specific practical purpose Working from this definition many basic tools that people take for granted today were once revolutionary technologies The earliest technology was developed when human beings realized they could sharpen rocks and bones to improve their usability This led to the creation of sim ple tools such as stone axes and arrow tips Hunting became easier and meat more abun dant which naturally led to a need to preserve the game by cooking it This need was met when humans learned to harness fire Hunting provided food and following game defined the lives and social structure of humans until they developed and refined the principles of agri culture transforming nomadic hunters into farmers Two-wheeled carts were invented in
9 Mesopotamia now Iraq in about 3500 BCE The yoke allowed draft animals to pull plows and wagons Likewise reed boats canoes and wooden rafts made river and coastal trade pos sible Another Mesopotamian creation was the first form of writing inscribing marks in soft clay in a process called cuneiform Now tech nologies could be recorded and more quickly disseminated 4th century BCE harpoons used for fishing
Technology of the Ancient World Each advance in technology led to further technological needs Effective farming and transportation allowed for a denser popula tion and after about 3500 BCE cities began to grow The Stone Age was followed by the Bronze Age in about 3000 BCE when humans discovered that copper repeatedly hammered and put into a fire would not crack which preceded the discovery that alloys of tin and copper produced a strong and malleable bronze that could be used for swords and sick les Mining metalworking and trade brought wealth to the newly formed cities and with it a change in the social structure Armies were needed to defend and sometimes conquer new home territories Construction of fortifica tions public structures waterworks and dams formed the beginnings of engineering This book examines the technology of the ancient world from the foundational advances of Stone Age hominids to the mastery of iron work and the construction of aqueducts in ancient Greece and Rome It studies tech nologies developed for military defense and supremacy as well as those related to the pro duction of food from Europe to the Indian subcontinent It also considers the leaps in technological innovation accompanying the change from a widespread population to tightly settled urban centers 10
INTRODUCTION Ultimately the long history of technology shows the many ways that human ingenuity has triumphed over environment and continues to build on past successes From simple tools to complex processes and machines humans will forever be improving on past breakthroughs to refine their lives and livelihoods 11
